Roman numeral tattoo generator
Type a birthday, an anniversary, a year or any number. It is converted to Roman numerals and drawn in ten tattoo fonts at the size you choose.
Your numerals in 10 tattoo fonts
Is the on-screen size accurate? Calibrate your screen
Hold a bank card against the dashed outline and move the slider until they match. The preview and the ruler then show true size on this screen. Printing and the downloaded files are always exact and do not need this.
How to write a date in Roman numerals
Convert each part of the date on its own and keep the separators. 10.25.2026 becomes X.XXV.MMXXVI: the month 10 is X, the day 25 is XXV (XX + V), and the year 2026 is MMXXVI (MM for 2000, XX for 20, VI for 6). Leading zeros disappear, so 05 is simply V. Keep the order you normally write dates in: month first in the US, day first in most other countries (25.10.2026 is XXV.X.MMXXVI), or year first if you want no doubt at all.
Roman numerals are built from seven letters: I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500) and M (1000). Letters are added from largest to smallest, and a smaller letter placed before a larger one is subtracted, which gives the six pairs IV (4), IX (9), XL (40), XC (90), CD (400) and CM (900). No letter is repeated more than three times in a row in the standard form. The generator above uses exactly these rules and shows the breakdown for every part, so you can check it yourself.
Roman numerals for days, months and years
Days and months, 1 to 31:
Birth and anniversary years, 1960 to 2026:
Placement and layout
A full date in Roman numerals is long. X.XXV.MMXXVI is twelve characters, and a 1980s year on its own can be eleven (1988 is MCMLXXXVIII). Long lines of straight strokes need room, so the usual spots are the ones that give a long, narrow area:
| Placement | How it is usually laid out |
|---|---|
| Inner forearm | One horizontal line along the arm, or the date running from wrist to elbow |
| Wrist | A short date or only the year; a full date wraps awkwardly around the bone |
| Collarbone | A single line following the bone |
| Spine, side of the ribs | A vertical stack, one part of the date per line or one letter per line |
| Behind the ear, fingers | Only very short numbers (a single year part or a day), in a bold font |
| Chest, collar line | Large serif or blackletter numerals, often with a name above or below |
Typography matters more than with words, because the same letters repeat. Strings like III, XXX and MMM turn into a row of identical vertical bars if the letters sit too close, and fine lines spread over the years. Fonts with clear serifs, such as Cinzel Decorative, Fredericka the Great or the Special Elite typewriter, keep each letter separate. Script capitals look elegant but an I and a J, or a V and a U, can blur together at small sizes. As a rule of thumb, keep at least 2 mm between any two strokes; the lettering styles guide explains why lines thicken as a tattoo ages. Dots and middle dots read clearly as separators; dashes can merge with the horizontal bars of serif letters, and plain spaces need generous width.
Frequently asked questions
Should 4 be written IV or IIII?
IV is the standard form and the one most people will read correctly, so it is the safe choice. IIII is not wrong: it appears on many clock faces and in some Roman inscriptions, and some people prefer it for symmetry. This generator always uses the standard form (IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, CM). If you want IIII, tell your artist, and keep the rest of the design consistent.
How do I write a year in Roman numerals?
Split it into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones and write each part: 2026 is MM + XX + VI = MMXXVI; 1999 is M + CM + XC + IX = MCMXCIX. Years in the 1900s start with MCM and years in the 2000s start with MM. Type any year into the generator to see the breakdown.
Is there a Roman numeral for 0?
No. The Roman system has no zero, so numerals start at I. A leading zero in a date just disappears (05 is V), but a part that is 0 on its own cannot be written in Roman numerals.
Should the month or the day come first?
Use the order you normally write dates in, because that is how you and the people around you will read it. In the US that is month first (X.XXV.MMXXVI for 25 October 2026); in most other countries it is day first (XXV.X.MMXXVI). Year first, or the year alone, avoids the question entirely.
What is the largest number I can convert?
3999, written MMMCMXCIX. Larger numbers need a bar over the letters to multiply them by 1,000, which is rarely tattooed and easy to misread, so the generator stops there. That covers every day, month and year you are likely to need.